A proposal to cancel the planned expansion of homeless camps in Albuquerque failed a procedural hurdle at the June 22 City Council meeting.
District 4 Councilor Brook Bassan had planned to introduce legislation to repeal the law legalizing sanctioned tent encampments during Wednesday’s meeting. However, a procedural vote to add the legislation to the Aug. 1 council meeting agenda failed on a 5-4 vote with Councilors Isaac Benton, Pat Davis, Tammy Fiebelkorn and Trudy Jones blocking the measure, according to a YouTube video of the meeting.
Renee Grout, District 9 councilor, said she considers Wednesday's vote a delay, not a setback.
"I am determined to rid our beautiful city of these homeless encampments, and I’m grateful that Councilor Bassan has had a change of heart about sanctioning them," she told the New Mexico Sun. "We had hoped that her bills -- O-33 and R-56 -- would be introduced on Wednesday night, and that R-56 would be held over so it could be debated and voted on at the Aug. 1 meeting. Instead, both will be introduced on Aug. 1. We are still hoping that R-56 will be debated and voted on at the Aug. 15 meeting, but even if it goes to the Land Use, Planning and Zone Committee first, we expect that the community will have plenty of time to study both measures and provide feedback. We’re looking forward to a robust discussion."
Bassan’s reversal of support comes after an Albuquerque neighborhood association meeting on June 16 that saw a record turnout, with angry community members showing up to question the new "Safe Outdoor Spaces" law being implemented throughout the city near residential areas, KOB4 News reported. Bassan also came to question Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller’s administration’s commitment to enforcing existing vagrancy, loitering, trespassing and overnight camping laws.
The New Mexico Sun reported earlier this month that the Albuquerque City Council passed the "Safe Outdoor Spaces" legislation, approving the expansion of sanctioned homeless encampments.
Since its passage, neighborhood safety activists have gathered to protest the city's new policy allowing the expansion of sanctioned homeless camps, like those in Coronado Park. The New Mexico Sun previously reported that citizen advocates insist that the “Safe Outdoor Spaces” approach to address the city's homelessness issue came without "specific plans" or budgets, could increase crime all over the city and is opposed by a “majority of citizens.”
Grout represents District 9, the far Southeast Heights and Foothills portion of Albuquerque. She was first elected to the City Council in December 2021.
